Electric switch.



No. 685,604. Patented Unt. 29, |90I.

' J. W. HEARN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. (Application med .rm 22, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

- /NVE/VTO um w,

A TTOHNEYS No. 685,604. Patented out. 29, |9o|. J. w. HEARN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led Jan. 22, 1901.]

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Nu Modei.)

ATTORN EY rufen.

JOHN W. HEARN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 685,604, dated October 29, 1901.

n 'pplication filed January 22, 1901. Serial No. 44,296. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HEARN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident lof New York,borough of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in switches, and more particularly to those in use upon roads employing the electric-trolley system, the object of the same being to provide a device of this character which may be controlled by the motorman while upon hiscar, and this without the addition of any levers or fixtures other than those usually employed upon trolley-cars.

With these and Vother v,ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features' of construction and combinations of parts, as

will be hereinafter fully described, and point-VV a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of my improved switch and taken upon the line l 1 of Fig. 2. y Fig. 2 is a View showing in plan the construction and arrangement of parts as illustrated in Fig. l. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged views of the magnets and operating cams and levers in their several adjustments. Fig. 5 is a front view of a portion of those devices shown in Fig. 4 and in the same adjustment. Fig. Gis a diagrammatic view, and Fig. 7 a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the operating parts placed in a box or receptacle below the surface of the ground. v

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 6, A represents a trolley-car of the usual style4 and construction; B B', poles or standards having the arms or brackets O C extending therefrom for holding or supporting the trolleywire D, the section D of said trolley-wire being insulated from the remainder of the line or wire E E' at the points e e.

F represents a loop-wire around the section of wire D and electrically connecting the portions E E of said trolley-wire and so arranged as not to interfere with the travel of the trolley-pole G and rolling Contact H along the wire D. From the part E of the trolley-wire leads the conducting-wire I down the pole B, from which it is properly insulated, into the box or receptacle 2, secured to said post,`

cured the brackets 6, in the outer ends of which rotates the shaft 7, to which latter is secured the ratchet 8, constructed and arranged to be engaged and operated by the pawl 9, the upper end'of the latter being pivoted to the outer end ofthe armature 4. The

effect of this construction and arrangement of partsis that when the magnets 3 are excited the armature 4 is raised, thereby raising the pawl 9, which in. turn engages with a tooth on the ratchet S and turns the same with its shaft 7, the parts occupying the positions as illustrated in Fig. 4. On the outer end of the shaft 7 is secured the cam l0, having the outline or contour as illustrated in Figs; 3 and 4-V-that is, provided with three arms having their ends rounded vor curved. On the shaft 7 and adjacent to the cam l0 is mounted the plate 1l, provided with an elongated slot or opening l2, through which passes said shaft 7, and to this plate 1l is secured the rod or lever 13, indirectly connectedwith the switch-tongue 2O for the purpose of moving or shifting the same when said plate 11 is raised and lowered, as hereinafter described. To the plate 1l and vat diagonally opposite corners are secured orfornied the outwardlyextending pin's or lugs 14 115 with which engage the rounded ends ofthe arms forming said cam l0 as the shaft 7 is rotated. When the magnets 3 are excited and the shaft7 rotated by means of the ratchet andpawl 8 9,

as before described, the cam lO will also be rotated. One of the arms coming in contact with the lug 15 on the plate ll forces the plate downwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 4, whereby the rod 13 is also forced-downwardly. The current being cut off from the magnets 3, the armature 4 drops into the position as illustrated in Fig. 3, and upon the magnets IOC) being again excitedA the armature 4 is raised and the cam 10 again rotated, one of the arms thereof coming in contact with the pin orlug 14 and raising the same, as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereupon the current being cut olf from the magnets the armature drops, leaving the parts in the position as illustrated in Fig. 3.

It will thus be understood from the foregoing that as the armature is raised the rod 13 will be alternately raised and lowered, accordingly as the respective pins or lugs 14 and 15 are engaged by the arms of the cam 10. Near the lower end of the standard B, and preferably below the surface of the ground, is located a receptacle 1G, in which is contained a pivoted bell-crank lever 17, to the horizontal arm of which is pivoted the lever or rod 13 and to the vertical arm of which is connected the horizontal lever or connecting-rod 1S, the latter in turn being pivotally secured to the depending lug 19, secured to or formed on the switch-tongue 20. As the rod 13 is raised and lowered the bell-crank 17 and rod 18 will be caused to shift the switch-tongue from side to side for the purpose of allowing the car to continue on the main line or switch off onto the branch in the ordinary way.

In the event that the switch-tongue is not in the proper position for the car to continue on the main line it will be unnecessary for the motorman to do anything, for the moment the rolling contact of the trolley-pole leaves the trolley-wire or conductor E and contacts with the insulated section D the current will pass from the wire E through the wire I and excite the magnets 3, thereby raising the armature 4: and, as before described, shift the switch to the opposite side, the current passing out through the wire K, wire D, and down through the trolley pole and into the ground-wire in the usual way. In the event, however, that the switch-tongue is in the proper position for the car to continue on the main line it will be changed to the improper position as soon as the rolling contact II of the trolley-pole strikes the insulated section D, whereupon it will be necessary for the motorinan to cut off the current momentarily, thereby` cutting off the current from the magnets 3 and allowing the armature to fall. Upon the current being again turned on by the motorman the magnets will be again excited, the armature raised, and the switch-tongue shifted back to its proper position-that is, into the position in which it was prior to the time that the rolling contact I'I came into contact with the insulated section D. In other words, if the switch-tongue comes into the proper position when the rolling contact I-I strikes the insulated section of the trolley-wire D the motorman simply continues on his way; but should the switch-tongue come into the wrong position when he strikes said insulated section D it will only be necessary for him to momentarily cut off his current and again turn it on, whereupon the switch-tongue will assume the proper position, or in the latter instance-that is, if the switch-tongue is in its proper position-the motorman may simply cut off his current prior to striking the insulated section D and keep the current so turned off until after the rolling contact leaves said insulated section D and contacts with the wire E. In other words, he may simply turn off his current and coast across the insulated section D, this being possible by reason of the fact that the section D is co1nparatively shortin length.

It will be understood that many changes may be made in the detail construction and arrangement of parts from those shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, for instance, instead of placing the receptacle for containing the operating mechanism upon the pole or standard B it may be located in the ground,'as illustrated in Fig. 7, and in close proximity to the switch-tongue. In such instance a rod or lever 21 may directly connect the pin or lug 22, extending down from the switch-tongue 20, with the plate 11 without the intervention of the bell-crank and connecting-rods before referred to. I do not, therefore, limit my invention to the exact construction and,l arrangement shown; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a switch-tongue, of a magnet having an armature pivoted in proximity thereto, a sbaftcarrying a ratchet aud cam, as described, a pawl connected with said armature and engaging with said ratchet, a plate loosely mounted on said shaft and provided with pins or lugs to engage with said cam, and levers connecting said plate and switch-tongue, whereby the latter is shifted as the cam is rotated, substantially as de'- scribed.

2. In an electric switch, the combination with a switch-tongue, of' a magnet and armature, a ratchet mounted on a shaft connected with said armature and engaging with said ratchet, a cam mounted on said shaft and rotating therewith, and with said ratchet, a plate loosely mounted on said shaft and pro vided with pins or lugs at diagonally opposite corners to engage with said cam, whereby said plate is moved in opposite directions by said rotating cam, a rod or lever connected with said plate, and indirectly connected with said switch-tongue, whereby the latter is shifted when said armature is raised and the cam and ratchet rotated, substantially as described. l

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of January, A. D. 1901.

- JOHN W.HEARN. Vitnesses:

GEORGE Cook, M. VAN NoR'rwIoK.

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